Lock means for sliding doors and the like



June 10, 1969 R. P. WALTERS LOCK MEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed April 7, 1967 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O US. Cl. 49-449 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lock plate for removable engagement with the support means of a slida'ble door, panel or the like. Such plate mechanically and/or magnetically fixedly engages the support means and is positioned to engage an end of the door to prevent or limit opening movement thereof.

This invention relates to lock means for sliding doors and the like, especially to a lock plate for magnetically floated doors, windows, panels and the like as shown in Waldo O. Jo'hnsons pending U. S. application Ser. No. 551,005.

Today there is a grave concern in many people for making certain that their homes are safely locked regardless of Whether or not they are then occupied. It seems that crime is very much on our minds and each of us attempts to prevent it and to elude it in our own Way. It is because of this problem that this new sliding look was invented so that a slidable door, or the like, can be easily and securely locked, when desired, by an effective, low-cost member.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a very inexpensive, readily movable, yet a very inexpensive, readily movable, yet a very trustworthy, locking device for doors, windows and the like that slide on some support means on their bottom horizontal edges, or which are slidably associated with such support means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a special locking apparatus for magnetically floated sliding doors, windows, or the like so that the doors, etc. can be locked in closed, or partly open positions.

The foregoing objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provision of apparatus for locking sliding doors, panels, windows, and the like, comprising a door, support means for engaging the door to position it for sliding movement in a vertical plane, and lock plate means to engage a part of the support means in a fixed manner and to engage an edge of the door and prevent or limit opening movement thereof.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of apparatus incorporating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, partly in vertical section, taken on the lock plate and associated means of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lock plate, or shoe.

In the drawings, the numeral refers to a magnetic floating shoe or lock plate which is the top half of the locking device of the invention. This lock plate 10 is shown in association with a door frame 11 in which a door, panel, or the like 12 is positioned for sliding movement in a vertical plane. A fixed door 13 is also positioned by the frame 11 and the door 12 can slide in the frame 11 to coincide substantially with the door 13 to expose an opening in the frame. A support or sill means 14 is shown to represent an embodiment of the invention and is composed in this instance of a floating sill 15, a resilient layer, or member 16, and a base sill "ice 17 with the floating sill being resiliently supported on the base sill by the layer 16. The floating sill 15 has one or more elongate permanent magnets 18 aflixed thereto to provide an air cushion slide for the door as hereinafter described, and a downward pulling force on the shoe 10 as the shoe, which usually is made from a ferrous material, extends across the magnet field, or fields. Such shoe is above and usually not in contact with the magnets 18, as it extends transversely across the floating sill 15 and may have plastic edge or spacing strip thereon. The poles of the magnet or magnets 18 extend longitudinally thereof and usually are as indicated in the drawing. The floating sill 15 is substantially conventionally attached to the base sill 17 and is for the most part rigidly and solidly positioned, with slight movement of the floating sill coming only as a result of downward forces exerted on the floating sill by the weight of or forces from the door or other supported article causing the material of-the layer 16 to be compressed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the floating sill 15 is the support for the shoe 10 which is made from a magnetic material, i.e., one that is attracted by a magnet. Such sill has several longitudinally spaced apertures or suitable recesses 20 provided on or in the upper surface or side portion of the shoulder 22 of the shoulders 22 and 122 formed thereon. These recesses 20 and associated portions of the sill act as the bottom half of the safety device of the invention. The shoe or look plate 10 has a pair of downwardly extending edge flanges 21 which engage the sill 15. The flanges 21 of the floating shoe or lock plate slide on the edge or shoulders 22 of the sill 15 to move the lock plate into a desired position. However, when a lug 28 on the one flange 21 is engaged in the aperture 20 in the shoulder 22 of the sill 15, there is a fixed position provided for the lock plate so that it cannot be moved unless the flange lug 22 is lifted from the aperture. When the door 12 is pushed against the locked shoe 10, a substantially vertical edge 23 of the lug 28 is engaged squarely against or at about right angles with a vertical edge of the aperture. This edge 23 may be at a slight angle to the vertical to facilitate seating in the recess 20.

A further safety device for maintaining the lug 28 in the aperture 20 when the locked position is that the lug cannot be lifted from the aperture 20 by hitting it with the door because the magnets 18 are pulling downwardly on the shoe 10, which is made from magnetic materials, so that any movement thereof is resisted. Also, the bottom of the door 12 is closely positioned above the top of the sill 15 and has at most only a slight vertical move ment so that the door cannot be moved over the lock plate.

The lug 28 may be removed from the aperture only by a person inside the house because the entire length of the door, panel, or the like 12 separates the shoe 10 from anyone who might attempt to reach the lock plate 10 from the outside for the floating shoe is in the same plane as the door, window, etc. that is locked. Also, the floating shoe is separated from the outside by an immobile door, window, or the like 13.

Furthermore, the person inside the house must lift on a handle or knob 27 of the shoe 10 to release it so that the distance between the lock plate and the magnets 18 is increased and by so doing, the magnetic field is broken. At the same time, the lug 28 of the lock plate 10 is lifted from the apearture 20 and the plate is free to slide on the shoulders or edges 22 and 122 of the sill 15 until the lug is engaged with another locking aperture in the sill. The lock plate 10 can have its locking lug or means on either side thereof and at one or both ends and/ or edges thereof so that some mechanical interlock can be obtained with the magnetic lock action. Usually the door 12 has magnetic support strips thereon at its lower edge to oppose the magnets 18 but these strips do not enter ino the lock action. The magnet strips have elongate poles extending longitudinally thereofand such magne s may be .made from any suitable material.

Normally one aperature 20 would be provided to re.- ceive the lug 28 and position the lock plate against an edge of the door 12 to retain it closed and locked and a second aperture would be provided to position the lock plate against a door edge when it is opened for example, 3 or 4 inches for ventilation. Any suitable mechanical ir1 terlock canbe provided between a bottom frame member, such as the floating sill, and the lock plate.

The knob 27, used when adjusting the position of the lock plate, is of conventionalstyle and is attached to the lock plate by any conventional means.

.While a certain representative emobodiment and details '4 extending poles formed in the magnet means positioned on the upper surface of said sill.

3. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the said lock plate has a knob means on the top thereof so that the lock plate can be manually pulled out of is magneically and mechanically locked position, thus enabling the lock plate to be moved to a different position on said sill.

.4. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the sill has several spaced recesses on an upper surface thereof on which said lock plate slides, said recesses being adapted to receive said lug to allow for different locking positions of the said lock plate whereby a variety of locked positions' of the door, panel, or the like are provided.

have been shown for the purpose of illustrating .the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that arious changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a vertically positioned, horizontally sliding door, window, panel, or the like which has at least one bottom horizontally extending edge, frame means including a bottom sill to engage at least said horizontally extending edge to position such edge and door for sliding movement in a vertical plane, alongate permanent magnet means operatively secured to said sill and having longitudinally extending poles, a magnetic metal lock plate positioned on and extending transversely across said sill and providing a magnetic and a mechanical locking engagement therewith to prevent sliding movement of said door thereby, and said sill having at least one locking recess or aperture formed in an upper portion thereof, said lock plate having edge flanges engaging the said sill and with one of said edge flanges having a lug thereon to provide a mechanical lock means when said lug is engaged with said recess or aperture provided in the said sill.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the said lock plate is magnetically held in place by longitudinally 5. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the said lock plate is in the same vertical plane as the sliding door, panel, or the like, and said lock plate'is adjacent an immobile door panel positioned in said frame means so that the said lock plate cannot be touched by anyone who is outsideof the house or building.

6'. In combination, a vertically positioned, horizontally sliding door, panel,'or the like, frame means including a sill to'engage said door to position it for slidingmovement ina vertical plane, elongate permanentmagnet means operatively secured to said sill and present on the upper surface thereof and having longitudinally extending poles, and a ferrous metal lock plate positioned on and extending tarnsversely across the upper surface of said sill, which sill forms a bottom portion in said frame means which has an opening therein in which said door is positioned, said lock plate being magnetically held in a given position, said lock plate having dependend edge flanges vertically overlapping and engaging portions of said sill.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,209,411 10/1965 Sprague 49-450 XR 3,346,993 10/1967 Johnson 49-419 XR KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 

